Proposed Re-evaluation Decision PRVD2022-15, Formic Acid and Its Associated End-use Products

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Proposed re-evaluation decision

Under the Pest Control Products Act, all registered pesticides must be regularly re-evaluated by Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) to ensure that they continue to meet health and environmental safety standards and continue to have value. The re-evaluation considers data and information from various sources such as information from pesticide manufacturers, incident reports, and other regulatory agencies. Health Canada applies internationally accepted risk assessment methods, risk management approaches and policies to all re-evaluations.

This document (Proposed Re-evaluation Decision PRVD2022-15, Formic Acid and Its Associated End-use Products) presents the proposed regulatory decision for the re-evaluation of formic acid, including any proposed amendments (risk mitigation measures) to protect human health and the environment, as well as the science evaluation on which the proposed decision is based.

Formic acid is a miticide registered in Canada for the control of tracheal and varroa mites and used for the treatment of honey bee colonies. Treatment of a hive with formic acid results in the diffusion of vapours through the hive, which target and suffocate mites. The commercial end-use product is applied as a liquid formulation poured onto absorbent materials (such as paper and wood pulp), or pads are pre-soaked and placed into honey bee hives. Domestic end-use products are applied to hives as a liquid formulation poured onto absorbent materials/applicator pads, or as pre-formulated slow release pads/gel strips. Currently registered products containing formic acid are listed in Appendix I of PRVD2022-15.

Registered pesticide product labels include specific directions for use. Directions include risk mitigation measures to protect human health and the environment that must be followed by law. When the current label directions are followed, these products were shown to have value in providing a pest management solution, and potential risks to human health (occupational, dietary, residential and bystander) and the environment are considered to be acceptable. As a result of the re-evaluation of formic acid, label updates are proposed to meet the current labelling standards (Appendix II of PRVD2022-15)

Under the authority of the Pest Control Products Act and based on the evaluation of currently available scientific information, products containing formic acid (Appendix I of PRVD2022-15) are being proposed for continued registration in Canada with proposed label updates.

All products containing formic acid registered in Canada are subject to this proposed re-evaluation decision. This document (PRVD2022-15) is subject to a public consultation,Footnote 1 during which written comments and additional information may be submitted to PMRA Publications. The final re-evaluation decision will be published taking into consideration the comments and information received during the consultation period.

Next steps

The public, including the registrants and stakeholders, are encouraged to submit written comments and additional information during the 90-day public consultation period upon publication of this proposed re-evaluation decision.

All comments received during the 90-day public consultation period will be taken into consideration in preparation of the re-evaluation decision documentFootnote 2, which could result in revised risk mitigation measures. The re-evaluation decision document will include the final re-evaluation decision, the reasons for it, and a summary of comments received on the proposed re-evaluation decision with Health Canada's responses.

Other information

When Health Canada makes its re-evaluation decision, it will publish a Re-evaluation Decision on formic acid (based on the Science Evaluation of PRVD2022-15). In addition, the test data referenced in this consultation document will be available for public inspection, upon application, in the PMRA's Reading Room.

Additional scientific information

Additional scientific data are not required at this time.

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